Sorry, Wayne, The Place Is For Sale

Wayne Newton’s estate, Casa de Shenandoah, is for sale.Photo by Diane Taylor

I’m not sure anyone in Las Vegas really understands all that has happened to Wayne Newton’s estate, Casa de Shenandoah. Mr. Las Vegas is a town favorite who for years had one of the most exciting shows in Las Vegas. I talked to a women yesterday who said that years ago, she and a girlfriend came to Las Vegas from California every month…just to see Newton’s show. She said Newton recognized them as loyal fans and was very kind to them.

Newton started singing as a teenager and in recent years has all but lost his singing voice which may be understandable. However, Newton does still make a unique appearance and can tell wonderful stories, so he had been a speaker at a number of conventions, and my husband and I saw him when he made a great appearance on a KNPR’s “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell me” radio show recorded in Las Vegas. However, the word in recent years has also been that Newton was struggling financially. That is why he and investors were turning his notable 38-acre estate at Sunset and Pecos into a tourist attraction. I live nearby the estate and have written about the project and photographed progress on fixing up the estate because I thought a sort of Graceland West was a good idea.

But just as this observer thought we were getting close to an announcement that tours were about to begin, court action by investors ended up forcing a bankruptcy. Now we have this: a For Sale sign at the famous corner we previously proudly showed off to visitors.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the land sale may be a bit difficult in that three houses on the property have leases and horses on the property still have grazing rights. The Newtons aren’t in agreement with all that is happening and have their own lawyers. We should hear more from the courts in May. The Review-Journal also said an auction is scheduled to be conducted on May 31.

In the meantime, anybody want 38 acres, three leases and grazing horses?